Harvard Vice Provost Visited UC Chile to Share Insights on Gender Equity
In two inspiring events held at Casa Central and San Joaquín, around 150 attendees gathered to hear from Judith Singer, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity at Harvard University. Speaking to university authorities, academics, and students, Singer shared her expertise on gender equity, offering strategies drawn from her experience at Harvard to help increase diversity and raise the number of female professors.
photo_camera In her first master class, Judith Singer shared key strategies for designing “more equitable workload systems,” including the critical first step: a “status quo” workload audit. “You need data from your specific context to identify if there is a problem, and if so, to begin addressing it,” she advised. PHOTO: Jaime Romero, UC Office of the Research Vice President
Last October, the UC had the pleasure of welcoming Judith Singer, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity at Harvard University, to give a series of talks on gender issues in academia.
Singer’s visit to the UC Chile was organized by the InES Gender UC Chile program, which is led by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, with funding from the National Research & Development Agency (ANID as per its Spanish acronym).
Gender Stereotypes and Their Impact on Decision-Making
The visit included two keynote lectures, one on October 9 for UC Chile authorities and the second on October 10 for the UC Chile community. The latter event also involved representatives from national InES Gender projects and the "Chilean University Alliance for Women in Academia" (AMA), a network dedicated to fostering discussions on best practices and challenges in promoting women in academia.
AMA, inspired by the work of Judith Singer in Faculty Development and Diversity, aims to elevate the contributions of female scholars and increase their representation in universities.
The first lecture, held in the Hall of Honor at Casa Central, was titled "Gender Stereotypes and Their Impact on Decision-Making and the Delegation of Academic Tasks."
It was attended by María Loreto Massanés (Vice President of Finance) and Rosa María Lazo (Vice President for Communications & Cultural Outreach), along with UC Chile Deans, authorities, and community members.
Silvana Zanlungo, Alternate Director of InES Gender at UC Chile and Director of Academic Development and Gender Equity, said in her introductory speech at Singer’s October 9th master class, “we have made significant progress in incorporating gender equity into R+D+i+e.”
She highlighted the 2021 award of funding for the InES Gender project at UC Chile and the recent creation of recommendations to reduce the gender gap in academia and promote co-responsibility.
After this introduction, Singer began her presentation and offered valuable insights into creating “more equitable workload systems.” She stressed the importance of beginning with a "status quo" workload audit.
"You need data from your specific context to see if there is a problem, and if so, to begin addressing it," she emphasized. Singer also recommended sharing comparative data on faculty workload. “Most departments have a ‘sense’ of who is contributing too little and who is overburdened. Faculty should know where they stand compared to their colleagues."
Vice Provost Singer also advocated for fewer committees, suggesting that universities often excel at creating new committees but struggle to dismantle outdated ones.
In her presentation on “Increasing Gender Equality in Non-Research Work,” she proposed a point system: “By quantifying the time required for different tasks, you create a common currency for evaluating contributions.”
Gender Gaps in Academia and Research
On October 10, before a packed auditorium at the UC Chile Faculty of Education, Judith Singer delivered her master class titled “Gender Gaps in Academia and Research: Contributions for Analysis.”
“I want to convey that anyone can be successful, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status,” Singer said, recounting her personal experiences of breaking into spaces traditionally occupied by her male peers.
In her presentation, she highlighted key strategies implemented at Harvard University to increase the representation of women, non-binary individuals, and African-Americans in academia. She emphasized that while diversifying the academic landscape is a gradual process, the focus should be on making changes in new hires and creating opportunities for professional growth and development.
Another important lesson Singer shared was the need for diversification in leadership roles and university boards. “You need people on the ground,” she said. “Universities don’t change by mandates from above; there are people in decision-making positions who can drive changes or ideas from below—and they don’t always have to be women. Men can be key allies in this process as well.”
At the end of the lecture, María Elena Boisier, Director of InES Gender at UC, expressed her gratitude to Singer for the insightful presentation.
“Instances like these help us understand how gender stereotypes form and their impact on the delegation of academic tasks between men and women. They also allow us to recognize the effects these dynamics have on their careers,” Boisier noted.
She further stressed that for UC Chile, it is “crucial to integrate strategies that help reduce the gender gaps identified in academia and science, and most importantly, to raise awareness in the community about the need to promote female participation in leadership roles and knowledge creation.”
A total of 150 people attended the talk in person and around 340 others participated virtually. The event was organized by the InES Gender program at UC.
Check out Judith Singer's full talk below: (video)
